Introduction Through new technologies and techniques, scientists have made significant progress in understanding how the brain works. Through this new understanding, they are able to answer some very important questions:
How does the brain work during learning?
Under what conditions do we learn best?
Why do some people learn differently from others?
Is everyone’s brain built the same way?
Chapter 2 links neuroscience and the classroom by interpreting brain research via an educational perspective. Understanding the Learning Brain
The brain can be compared to a computer network. The brain itself consists of approximately 1,000,000,000,000 neurons linked by approximately 10,000,000,000,000 connections. The links and neurons create a dense network allowing the brain to communicate between regions dynamically and along multiple pathways.
Within the overall network are three smaller networks specialized in performing individual tasks. The first is the recognition network; it allows us to sense and assign meaning to patterns and to identify and understand information, ideas, and concepts. The second network is the strategic network; it allows us generate and oversee mental and motor patterns, enabling us to plan, execute, and monitor actions and skills. The third and final network is the affective network; it allows us to evaluate patterns and assign them emotional significance, and enables us to engage with tasks and learning and the world around us. The three networks work together continually to help us accomplish everyday tasks.
Each of the three networks share two common characteristics. Processing within the networks is distributed laterally across many brain regions for simultaneous processing. It is also distributed hierarchically for simultaneous processing. These two distribution methods help in the processing of sensory information and contextual influences.
One important aspect to remember about the brain, particularly within the field of education, is that each brain is substantially different from another. Recognition Networks Recognition networks are a series of modules located in the back of the brain which help us interpret things we experience in our everyday lives. These networks are extremely complex and are associated with out five senses: seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching. Scientists have been able to investigate how recognition networks work through position emission topography (PET) scans. These scans show how each sense is distributed in the brain; for example, if a person hears a word a specific section of the brain will light up or show activity, if the word is read a different section of the brain shows activity.
Not only are the modules in the recognition center of the brain related to our senses, but each sense contains multiple modules. Our brains are able to interpret information quickly and competently through the use of parallel processing, this also affects how the modules are connected in the brain. With so many modules, it is important that the brain is able to distinguish information appropriately in order to understand it correctly. Modules are ordered in a hierarchy which allows this to be possible. They are arranged in a way from complex to simple and follow two distinct processes. Bottom-up processing is used to identify sensory features around us, where top-down processing uses our prior knowledge to allow us to interpret information and make predictions.
As teachers, it is important to understand this information so that we are able to introduce lessons to students in a way that each one can understand. Each individuals brain activity works in a unique ways, some students brains may work better using bottom-up processing rather than top-down. Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of students and knowing how to develop lessons that allow all students to grasp specific concepts is important for future teachers to do. Strategic Networks
Have you ever wondered how you are able to figure things out, remember something you glanced at, or skim a text for information? Strategy Networks are responsible for how we plan, execute, and monitor our internally generated mental and motor patterns.
This process involves the “Multi-Step Strategy Process.”
Identify a goal.
Design a plan.
Execute the plan.
Self-monitoring
Correct or adjust actions
This process starts with the eye scan of something, which transmits to the frontal lobes of the brain. The strategic network has modules that form a two-way hierarchical pathway that either sends signals, “Top-Down” from the cortex to the spinal cord or “Bottom-Up:” from the cerebellum to the cortex, down the muscles and back up to the cortex. This process enables the brain’s cognition and learning.
It is important to know that we all scan information with our eyes and depending on internal and external distraction; the process may or may not be distributed across the modules of the frontal lobes. As a teacher, you can assist students by gathering as much information as possible, incorporate multiple technologies, and scaffold student’s weaknesses while drawing on their strengths. Affective Networks
Affective networks, according to Cast (2012) are the emotional connections between our individual internal emotions and how we deal with them in real world scenarios. Although most people share similar affective networks, how they deal with and react to similar life situations often differs due to imbalances or defects through the system. It is in these individual differences and reactions that teachers must be able to differentiate their instruction to meet the specific needs of the students they teach. These networks are fast and efficient allowing for necessary emotional responses to the outside world. However, these emotional responses are often accountable for poor judgment and can also interfere with learning. Students can often lose focus on curriculum when their center of attention is on emotional issues or loss of motivation. Teachers must discover the right techniques, strategies, and curriculum to keep these students from falling behind. The teacher must find the affective connection to the learning, it is essential for student success (CH.2). Implications for the Classroom
Bringing everything together, we see that there are no regular students. Too often students are placed in broad categories such as smart, not smart, disabled, not disabled, regular, and not regular. This is a gross over simplification that is not in sync with reality. The structure of the learning networks, which is a modular organization, means that each student brings a unique set of strengths, weaknesses, and preferences to school.
Group PowerPoint Presentation:
Introduction
Through new technologies and techniques, scientists have made significant progress in understanding how the brain works. Through this new understanding, they are able to answer some very important questions:
- How does the brain work during learning?
- Under what conditions do we learn best?
- Why do some people learn differently from others?
- Is everyone’s brain built the same way?
Chapter 2 links neuroscience and the classroom by interpreting brain research via an educational perspective.Understanding the Learning Brain
The brain can be compared to a computer network. The brain itself consists of approximately 1,000,000,000,000 neurons linked by approximately 10,000,000,000,000 connections. The links and neurons create a dense network allowing the brain to communicate between regions dynamically and along multiple pathways.
Within the overall network are three smaller networks specialized in performing individual tasks. The first is the recognition network; it allows us to sense and assign meaning to patterns and to identify and understand information, ideas, and concepts. The second network is the strategic network; it allows us generate and oversee mental and motor patterns, enabling us to plan, execute, and monitor actions and skills. The third and final network is the affective network; it allows us to evaluate patterns and assign them emotional significance, and enables us to engage with tasks and learning and the world around us. The three networks work together continually to help us accomplish everyday tasks.
Each of the three networks share two common characteristics. Processing within the networks is distributed laterally across many brain regions for simultaneous processing. It is also distributed hierarchically for simultaneous processing. These two distribution methods help in the processing of sensory information and contextual influences.
One important aspect to remember about the brain, particularly within the field of education, is that each brain is substantially different from another.
Recognition Networks
Recognition networks are a series of modules located in the back of the brain which help us interpret things we experience in our everyday lives. These networks are extremely complex and are associated with out five senses: seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching. Scientists have been able to investigate how recognition networks work through position emission topography (PET) scans. These scans show how each sense is distributed in the brain; for example, if a person hears a word a specific section of the brain will light up or show activity, if the word is read a different section of the brain shows activity.
Not only are the modules in the recognition center of the brain related to our senses, but each sense contains multiple modules. Our brains are able to interpret information quickly and competently through the use of parallel processing, this also affects how the modules are connected in the brain. With so many modules, it is important that the brain is able to distinguish information appropriately in order to understand it correctly. Modules are ordered in a hierarchy which allows this to be possible. They are arranged in a way from complex to simple and follow two distinct processes. Bottom-up processing is used to identify sensory features around us, where top-down processing uses our prior knowledge to allow us to interpret information and make predictions.
As teachers, it is important to understand this information so that we are able to introduce lessons to students in a way that each one can understand. Each individuals brain activity works in a unique ways, some students brains may work better using bottom-up processing rather than top-down. Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of students and knowing how to develop lessons that allow all students to grasp specific concepts is important for future teachers to do.
Strategic Networks
Have you ever wondered how you are able to figure things out, remember something you glanced at, or skim a text for information? Strategy Networks are responsible for how we plan, execute, and monitor our internally generated mental and motor patterns.
This process involves the “Multi-Step Strategy Process.”
This process starts with the eye scan of something, which transmits to the frontal lobes of the brain. The strategic network has modules that form a two-way hierarchical pathway that either sends signals, “Top-Down” from the cortex to the spinal cord or “Bottom-Up:” from the cerebellum to the cortex, down the muscles and back up to the cortex. This process enables the brain’s cognition and learning.
It is important to know that we all scan information with our eyes and depending on internal and external distraction; the process may or may not be distributed across the modules of the frontal lobes. As a teacher, you can assist students by gathering as much information as possible, incorporate multiple technologies, and scaffold student’s weaknesses while drawing on their strengths.
Affective Networks
Affective networks, according to Cast (2012) are the emotional connections between our individual internal emotions and how we deal with them in real world scenarios. Although most people share similar affective networks, how they deal with and react to similar life situations often differs due to imbalances or defects through the system. It is in these individual differences and reactions that teachers must be able to differentiate their instruction to meet the specific needs of the students they teach. These networks are fast and efficient allowing for necessary emotional responses to the outside world. However, these emotional responses are often accountable for poor judgment and can also interfere with learning. Students can often lose focus on curriculum when their center of attention is on emotional issues or loss of motivation. Teachers must discover the right techniques, strategies, and curriculum to keep these students from falling behind. The teacher must find the affective connection to the learning, it is essential for student success (CH.2).
Implications for the Classroom
Bringing everything together, we see that there are no regular students. Too often students are placed in broad categories such as smart, not smart, disabled, not disabled, regular, and not regular. This is a gross over simplification that is not in sync with reality. The structure of the learning networks, which is a modular organization, means that each student brings a unique set of strengths, weaknesses, and preferences to school.
Reference
CAST Teaching Every Student (2012). Chapter 2: What Brain Research Tells Us About Learner Differences. Retrieved from CAST database. http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/ideas/tes/chapter2_7.cfm